The Alice Austen House on the Narrows

The Alice Austen House was home to the American photographer Alice Austen (1866-1952), and today it presents her photographs, life and historic house on a lawn that runs down to the Narrows. The house and its waterfront park are a nationally designated site of LGBTQ+ history, centered on the 55-year relationship between Austen and her life partner, Gertrude Tate, which offers a rare window into pre-Stonewall queer life. Exhibitions draw on Austen's own pictures, and the setting, with ships gliding past and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to the south, is reason enough to come.

The museum opens Wednesday through Saturday, and admission is a suggested $5 as of October 2026, with free entry for members, Culture Pass holders and SNAP recipients. On-site parking is almost nonexistent, so take the Staten Island Ferry and a short bus ride along Bay Street. After your visit, linger on the lawn by the water. Check the events calendar for talks, screenings and volunteer garden days, and note that the museum closes over Thanksgiving week and the winter holidays. Snug Harbor, up the shore, makes a good pairing.